Lighting system



July 13, 1937. H, H GRDON 2,087,029

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1931 4 sheets-Sheet 1 /j jW l? `r,20 3. f4

Z6 gwwmto'p F23: i y /y/vef H @arid/7 dbbomgf July 13, 1937. H. GORDON 2,087,029

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Haj/ref H 1a/darf @MJ/MMM July 13, 1937.

H. H., GORDON LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @gw/@14%, ZM

H. Hf GORDN LIGHTING sYsITEM July 13, 1937.

4 Sheets-Shea?I 4 Filed Feb. 19, 1931 Patented July 13, 1937 lPATENT OFFICE LIGHTING SYSTEM Hayner Gordon, Washington, D. C., assignor to Lite Watchman Corporation, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of Delaware Application February 19, 1931, serial No. 517,063

3 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to a lighting system and has particular application to electric lighting systems used in connection with moving vehicles.

'I'he invention has for one of its principal obiects the provision of means rendered eifective by failure of one of the light sources for indicating that such failure has occurred.

'I'he invention embraces the provision of means forvlsually indicating as, for example, by modifying the light beam projected from the light source when one of the illuminants becomes ineffective. f

y A further object of the invention includes the provision of means for audibly or otherwise indieating when abnormal conditions exist in the lighting system.

The invention comprehends the provision of means rendered effective by' the failure of one of the light sources in use for increasing the intensity or normal power of the light beam project-r ed during normal operation of the system.

'Ihe invention also includes as one of its objects an automatic safety control for the electric lightlng system 0f automotive vehicles including an Y same being of such nature that failure of the active light source will automatically bring into operation another source to take its place.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this'invention suchas relate to the arrangementf; operation and 'function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture 35 and numerous`other features as -will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawings of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a 40 lighting system and circuit arrangement embodying a form of the device of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side sectional view through a headlamp illustrating diagrammatically the light rays produced from two separately energized sources 45 of light; Y

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic circuit arrangement illustrating a modified form of a circuit controlling means of my invention;

Figure 4 is a View illustrating the projection of 50 the light beams or patterns produced by the several light sources;

Figure 5 is a View illustrating the beam prol jection or pattern produced by one set of light sources;

55V Figure 6 is a view illustrating the beam proarrangement for the circuits of the system, the

jection or pattern produced by another set of light sources;

Figure 7 is a view illustrating the pattern of composite beam resulting from overlapping of beam patterns due to failure of one of the light 5 sources;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the resultant beam pattern upon failure of a different light source;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 7 and 3 10 illustrating the resultant beam pattern upon failure of a third light source;

Figure l0 is a view similar to Figure 9 illustrating the resultant pattern upon failure of a fourth light source. 15

As a practical application of my invention, I have illustrated a form of my device as incorporated in a lighting system for vehicles, but it is to be understood that I contemplate the use of my invention with other systems or in any 20 place where'the same may be found to be ap plicable. Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, numerals I 0 and II represent respectively the right and left hand headlamps with respect to the operatorV of the vehicle. Each headlamp consists of an exterior shell I4 which houses a suitable substantially parallelizing reflector I5, the front of the lamp being enclosed by means of a lens I6 preferably prismatic in character for reasons to be hereinafter stated, the lens being held in place by means of an annular escutcheon I'I. Positioned within the reflector I5 is a socket I9 which forms a suitable support for a lamp bulb 22. The lamp bulb 22 in the embodiment illustrated is provided with two spaced light sources 20 and 2l which are preferably adapted to be selectively energized and are positioned with respect to the reilector or lens to produce inf dependent light beam patterns of substantially the same intensity. 40 In a headlamp of the character illustrated, one source of light or filament when energized produces a, distant or driving beam to be utilized particularly for country driving or when the vehicle is travelling at comparatively high speeds, the other filament or light source being energized for slow speed or town driving, the beams from the latter mentioned filament being deflected downwardly and intercepting the road at a point comparatively close to the car with respect to the other beam. l Y

In the embodiment shown, the fila-ment 2| which produces the distant beam is located substantially at the focus of the reflector While the filament 20 which is preferably positioned above 55 the filament 2| when energized, produces a downwardly deflected or tilted beam, the light rays produced by the iilaments being illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, and the beam patterns projected being particularly shown in Figure and 6.

It is well known that the filaments of electric lamp bulbs now in use are quite susceptible to disruption or breakage due to jar or vibration set up because of movement of the vehicle and that they are also liable to burn out through normal use. Itis quite common when one set of filaments is energized to see automobiles with only one headlight illuminated of which fact the operator or driver of the Vehicle is not in many instances fully aware. In other instances, while aware of such condition, trafiic situations or lack of tools to remove the front of the headlamp or absence of extra lamp bulbs will prevent the immediate removal of the burned out bulb and the replacement of a new one.

The operation of the vehicle when only one headlamp is illuminated is rather dangerous both to the driver of the vehicle and to drivers of approaching Vehicles, as it is impossible to determine Whether one light signifies the approach of a motorcycle or of an automobile, and furthermore it is impossible to ascertain whether it is the right or the left headlampwhich is illuminated and, therefore, impossible to determine or gauge the amount of space to be given the approaching vehicle.

To obviate such diiiiculties and render driving conditions more safe, I have provided means in the electric lighting system for alleviating such dangerous driving conditions. The wiring diagram shown in Figure 2 illustrates a typical embodiment for carrying out the objects of my invention, and it comprises a source of current supply as, for example, storage battery 25 and a generator 26 driven by the engine and preferably connected to the storage battery 25 through a cut-out 21 and a'wire 28, the battery and generator being grounded as at 29 to form a return circuit. starting motor 30 deriving its energy from the storage battery 25 by suitable leads 3| and switch 32, also being grounded as at 33 to provide suitable return connection. The filaments 20 and 2| of the headlamps are suitably connected by means of leads 35, 36, 31 and 38 through fuses 40 for protecting the system to the four windings 4|, 44, 43 and 42 of the relay 45 and these windings are in turn connected by means of a switch 55 preferably of manually operated type for selectively connecting each set of filaments in the headlamps to the source of electrical energy.

f The return circuit for the filaments is obtainedv through a spitable ground connection diagrammatically illustrated in Figure l as at 24. A tail light 34 for the vehicle is connected through the medium of the switch 55 to receive its energy from the storage battery 25 or other current supply irrespective of the positionof the switch 55.

In the embodiment illustrated the four Windings of the relay 45 have substantially the same number of turns and windings 4| and 42 are wound in the same directions while windings 43 and 44 are wound in the same direction with respect to each other but in opposite directions with respect to the above two mentioned windings. Windings 4| and 43 have one end of each connected to a switch point 41 by means of a lead 48, while the end of the windings 42 and 44 are interconnected and connected to the switch point 5D by means of lead 49. It will be obvious Also associated with the system is the from the foregoing description that movement of switch 55 from its full line position to its dotted 4line position, as indicated in Figure 1, will selectively or alternately connect the separate sets of lamp filaments 20 and 2| and the respective relay windings connected in the circuit with the current supply by means of leads 26 and 28. The relay 45 comprises essentially a frame 52 which carries a core 56, the latter supporting the windings 4|, 42, 43 and 44. Pivoted adjacent one end of the frame 52 is a movable armature 51 which is normally held in its outermost position by means of a spring 58. The armature carries a contact 65 which cooperates in a manner to be hereinafter explained with a stationary contact 8| suitably insulated from the relay frame 52. The contact 65 is connected through the armature 51, relay frame 52 and leads 49 to switch stud 50. A stationary contact 6| suitably insulated from the frame of the relay by means of material 62 is connected by means of leads 63 and 48 to the switch stud 41. The relay 45 can be mounted in any desired position in the vehicle, but preferably mounted adjacent the drivers seat for purposes to be hereinafter explained.

The operation of my device is such that when the switch lever 55 occupies ythe position illustrated in full lines in Figure 1, energy is supplied to the lower iilaments 2| of each of the headlamps` through windings 4| and 43 of the relay. Due to the direction of the windings and current flow therein, the electro-magnetic forces set up in the relay will be neutralized and no movement oi the armature will take place irrespective of voltage variations of the current supply. When the lower filaments 2| are energized, the substantially superposed beam pattern produced by each o-f the filaments corresponds to the projected pattern 10 as it would appear on a screen indicated at 1| positioned substantially at right angles to the horizontal axes of the headlamps. The light beam pattern produced by each headlamp is superposed, Figure 5 illustrating the super-position of beam pattern of light emanating from each headlamp when the lower filaments 2| are energized producing-the distance or driving beam, the pattern of the left hand lamp being indicated at 13, the pattern of the right hand lamp being indicated at 14 and the super-imposed or common portions of the light patterns produced by both lamps being indicated by the cross hatching resulting from the opposite diagonal cross-sectioning of the respective beam patterns 13 and 14. It should be noted in this connection that the portion indicating the decreased intensity of light portions 16 and 11 are due to the non-congruent portions of the light patterns produced, as the left hand headlamp produces the portion 16, while the right hand headlamp produces the portion 11.

When the switch 55 is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, current will pass through relay windings 42 and 44, thus energizing the upper filaments 20 of each headlamp producing the downwardly deflected or tilted light beam, thepattern of which is indicated at 80fof Figure 4 upon screen 1|, the respective patterns of the right and left headlamps being indicated in Figure 6, the right hand headlamp producing pattern 82, the left hand headlamp producing pattern 83 and the superposed beam pattern or congruent beam pattern indicated at 84, the respective patterns of the two headiamps being non-congruent as has been patterns illustrated in Figure 5.

The above is theioperaticn of the system under normal conditions. In the event that one olf the filaments is rendered ineffective by being broken or otherwise disabled which would normally be energized because of the position of the switch one of the windings of the relay which is in series with the disabled filament will not be subject to current flow while its opposed winding energizing the other filament will roduce an electro-magnetic flux in the relay which is effective to attract the armature 51, closing the contacts 8| and 65, thus completing the circuit which immediately and automatically energizes the other set of filaments to set up illumination of both headlamps, yet -at the same time. the beam pattern as will hereinafter be explained is illustrated in Figures '7 to 10 inclusive. In this connection, it should be noted that when one filament burns out in one of the headlamps in the particular embodiment shown, the remaining three filaments will be energized. When the switch 55 has been moved to the other position, if a filament should become disabled, the same condition would exist but a different winding in the relay would be rendered ineffective yet the ultimate result would be the same.

For sake of illustration, assuming that the lower filaments are energized and that the lower in the right hand headlamp becomes disabled, the winding 4| connected in series therewith is rendered inactive due to the fact that no current is flowing therein. The electro-magnetic force produced in winding 43 will set up a magnetic field in co-re 56 to attract armature 51 against the tension of spring 58 and close contacts 65 and 6| completing the auxiliary circuit from the source of supply by means of leads 48 and 63, contacts 6I and 65, armature 51, framel 52, lead 68, windings 42 and 44 connected re.

spectively to upper filaments 28 by means of leads 36 and 38, thus energizing the two upper i filaments in addition to the left hand lower lament which is already energized. It should be noted that the windings 42 and 44 are then in circuit and as they are in o-pposition, any electro-magnetic flux produced by the energization of these windings will be neutralized so that the unbalanced condition still exists in the relay because of the current flow through winding 43 which holds armature 51 and contact 65 in engagement with contact 6I. In this condition the composite beam pattern produced by the system corresponds to the beam pat-tern illustrated in Figure 8.

With the switch 55 in the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, assuming that the upper filaments are energized and that the upper filament in the left hand headlamp becomes disabled, the winding 42 connected in series therewith is rendered inactive due to the fact that no current is flowing therein. The electro-magnetic force produced in winding 44 'connected in circuitI with the other upper filament will set up a magnetic field in core `56 to attract armature 51 and close contacts 65 and 6l completing the auxv iliary circuit from the source of supply by means of leads 49, frame 52 connected therewith, armature 51, contacts 65 and 6 I, leads 83 and 48, windings 4| and-43 connected respectively to lower filaments`2| by means of leads 35 and 31, thus energizing the two lower filaments, in addition to the right hand upper filament which is already energized. It should be noted that the windings 4I and 43 are then in circuit and as they are in opposition, any electro-magnetic flux produced by the energization of these windings will be neutralized so that the unbalanced condition still exists in the relay because of the current flow through winding 44 to hold the armature 51 and contact 65 in engagement with contact 6I. In this condition, the composite beam pattern produced by the system corresponds to the beam pattern illustrated in Figure 9.

The light beams produced by four possible abnormal conditions resulting from the selective disability of each of four filaments are illustrated in Figures '1 to 10 inclusive. Figure 7 particularly illustrates the modified Alight beam pattern produced when the lower filament of the left hand headlamp is disabled. Such disability automatically brings into operation the upper filaments of both headlamps in addition to the lower filament already in operation the three light beams being indicated by patterns 13, 82 and 83, the beam patterns 82 and 83 being illustrated in heavy lines to Ashow the greater intensityresulting from thegenergization of the upper filaments while the beam pattern 13 is illustrated in light lines indicating a beam from one filament only.l

Figure 8 illustrates a beam pattern very similar to Figure 1 and indicates the composite pattern produced when the lower filament of the right hand headlamp is disabled. It is, thereby noted that the distant or driving beam pattern of the left hand headlamp and designated 14 has shifted to the left hand side of the common beam axis.

Figure 9 illustrates the beam pattern condition when the upper filament of the left hand headlamp has burned out or become disabled causing a shifting of the bea-m pattern 82 to be shifted to the right of the beam axis.

Figure 10 illustrates a similar condition although reversed when the upper right hand filament becomes disabled causing a shifting of the beam pattern 83 to the left of the beam axis. Thus it will be apparent that a disabled or burned out filament in either of the headlamps will distinctively change the contourof the beam pattern as well as the intensity of the same in some portions thereof. Thus a visual indication will be apparent to the operator of the vehicle that certain of the laments have become disabled or that sorre other abnormal condition is present in the system. By noting the nature or contour of the beam produced and the intensity of the same, h e will at once be apprised of an abnormal condition of his lighting system and will also be able to determine which filament has become disabled.

The employment of the circuit and means associated therewith hereinbefore described under certain abnormal conditions in the lighting system produces an audible indication. As hereinbefore pointed out, when one of the filaments of a headlamp or the circuit for the same becomes ineffective, the remaining filaments, as the case may be, due to the circuit connection become active and a beam pattern of certain peculiar shape and intensity is produced. If both of the filaments of one of the `headlamps burn out or become inactive, or if their circuits are disabled,`

rapid vibration of the armature from the open to the closed positions or vice versa and consequently audible vibratory noises or sounds produced.

For sake of illustration, if the lower filaments are energized by connecting the same through the windings of the relay to the source of energy, the switch 55 being in the position indicated in full lines, it will be noted that if the lower lament 2| ofthe right headlamp becomes ineffective, the electro-magnetic flux produced by winding 43 connected to the lower filament of the left headlamp will attract armature 51 thereby closingthe contacts 65 and 6| and establish an auxiliary circuit by means of current flowing through lead 63, stationary contact 6|, movable contact 65, armature 51, frame of the relay 45 and lead 60, which in turn connects windings 42 and 44 with the source of energy, and the upper filaments are thus energized, the composite beam pattern produced under this condition being similar to the one illustrated in Figure 8. Due to the fact that the windings 42 and 44 are in opposite directions, the armature will not be affected by the ilux produced by those windings, and coil 43 acts to hold the armature in closed position. If, however, the upper iilament 20 of the right headlamp becomes ineffective or burns out, the circuit of the winding 44 is interrupted and no electro-magnetic flux is produced by said wind- `ing in the core 56 of the relay. It then will be noted that the resultant magnetic iiux acting on armature 51 and core 56 is neutralized as the magnetic elds produced by windings 43 and 42` are in opposition and no resultant ilux acts in armature 51 to overcome the tension of the spring 58 which, due to the retractive force ofI saidspring, will interrupt the auxiliary circuit by opening contacts 6| and 65. In this condition, itwill be seen that the lower filament of the left headlamp will be energized while the armature is in the open position and that immediately the auxiliary circuit is closed due to the magnetic flux produced by winding 43 in circuit with this filament, which winding will attract armature 51, but due to the neutralization of the magnetic fields then present on account of the connection of winding 42 which produces a flux in opposition to winding 43, the retractive forceof the spring will move the armature to the normal open position producing by this action a vibratory movement of the armature resulting in a sound or audible indication. This condition will be present until a new bulbreplaces `the disabled one or the circuit is repaired.

Inthe modified arrangement illustrated in Figure 3, the headlamps designated |00 and |0| are provided with suitable sets of upper and lower filaments designated respectively |04 and |05 and which are connected by means of leads |06, |01, |08 and |09 through fuse blocks ||0 to thermo-responsive devices ||2 and ||4, which are in turn connected through leads |15, H6, two-way switch I8, the latter in turn connected to a source of energy as, for example, a battery |25 or a generator* |26 through the medium of leads |2| and |22. The return circuit is completed through suitable, illustrated ground connections. A starting 'motor |28 is connected through the medium of a switch |21 to the source of energy and a tail light |29 is also included in circuit with the switch ||8 and is energized irrespective of the position of switchni I8.

The thermostatic devices are substantially of the same constructioneach one comprising a pair of substantially parallel bars of bi-metallic, thermo-responsive material |30 and |3| which are suitably mounted upon insulating block |34, each bar being surrounded by windings |36 and |31. The windings of one thermostatic device are connected in series with the upper filaments, While the `windings of the other thermostatic device are-connected with the lower ilaments in the circuit illustrated. The bars |3| of each thermostatic device are movable at their lower ends and carry a contact element |39 arranged within the bight of a U-shaped member|40 which is suitably supported by means of an insulating block |4| secured to the lower end of the other bar |30. Both thermo-responsive bars |30 and |3| of each thermo-responsive element have substantially the same co-eflicient of expansion or expansible characteristics. It should be noted that as the windings |36 and |31 are of substantially the same number of turns, the heat generated by the current flow in each winding is substantially the same when either set oi.' iliaments is energized. It should be noted that under normal conditions when a set of filaments are energized and both burning, no relative movement of the thermo-responsive elements |30 and |3| will take place as both will move substantially the same distance and in the same direction. It should be noted that the lower ends of each set of windings are interconnected and at the same time connected with the contact |39 carried by bar element |3|.

Should any part of the circuit become impaired or if a filament should become disabled or burn out, such an abnormal condition acting through the thermo-responsive elements causes the other set of elements to become immediately energized. For example, if the lower filaments of each of the headlamps are energized by having the switch ||8 in the position illustrated in full lines, a circuit will be established from the source of energy by means of lead ||6 connected to windings |36 and |31 which in turn are connected by means of leads |01 and |00 to the lower filaments of each of the headlamps, the return circuit being established through the ground connections 'illustrated in Figure 3. If, however, the lower filament of the right hand headlamp |00 becomes disabled or is burned out or the circuit thereof impaired, the current iiow through winding |31 will be discontinued and the heat generated thereby will not aifect the bi-metallic member |3|. This member will immediately move to its normal position and as the other bar |30 has moved under the iniluence of the heat generated in the winding |36, contact |39- carried by bar |3| will engage one leg of the U-shaped member |40, thus establishing a circuit connection through leads ||9 and ||5 thus connecting the windings of the other thermo-responsive device into the circuit and establishing a circuit from the source of energy to the' upper filaments which'will be immediately illuminated, the beam pattern produced by such illumination being illustrated in Figure 8.

From the foregoing description of the operation of the circuit, when the lower left hand iliament burns out a similar' abnormal condition exists in the thermo-responsive element, but in this case the bi-metallic member |30 moves with respect to the bi-metallic member |3| because of the difference in temperature affecting the thermo-'responsive members such that the other set of laments will be immediately energized and a composite beam pattern similar to the one in Figure 7 will take place. The relative movement of the thermostatic member serves to establish the auxiliary circuit above described. The same action will take place in the other thermostatic member ||2 when either of the upper laments become disabled or are burned out or the circuits impaired. The composite beam pattern produced when the upper filaments are energized and one of them becomes disabled or burns out corresponds tothe one illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. The auxiliary circuit established by the thermostatic device ||2 comprises movable contact |39, one leg or portion of the U-shaped member |40, lead |20 connected to said U-shaped member and in turn connected to lead I6, the windings |36 and |31 or relay ||4, and the leads |09 which in turn are connected to the lower filaments of the headlamps, the return circuit being established through the ground connection diagrammatically illustrated.

It is apparent that, within the scope of 'the invention modications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

1.y In a lighting system for automobiles, a plurality of head lamps; an electric lamp bulb for each of said head lamps, each lamp bulb having two laments; current conducting means for said filaments forming two independent circuits capable of separate energization, each circuit including a filament of each of said lamp bulbs; a source of current; switching means for selectively connecting said source of current in either of said independent circuits; and an automatically actuated switching means operating to produce audible sound upon interruption of current 2. In a lighting system for automotive vehicles, in combination two head lamps; a pair of light sources in each of said head lamps; a source of unidirectional electrical energy; current conducting means for said light sources forming two independent circuits capable of separate energize,- tion, each circuit including a light source from each of said head lamps; switching means for selectively `connecting said source of energy in either of said independent circuits; an electromagnetic means forming part of said independent circuits and operating to produce audible sound upon interruption of current flow through both light sources in one of said head lamps.

3. In combination, a source of current supply; a pair of spaced illuminating units; a pair of spaced light emitting filaments located in each of said illuminating units; current conducting means for said laments forming two independent circuits capable of separate enrgization, each of said circuits including a lament of each illuminating unit; switch means for selectively con-v necting said current source in either of said independent circuits; means forming part of said circuits automatically operable, upon cessation of current flow to one of the laments in the circuit selectively connected to the source, :for connecting the other circuit to the source of current supply; said automatically operating means being arranged to produce audible sound upon cessation of current flow through the pair of filaments located in one of said illuminating units.

HAYNER H. GORDON. 

